Social Security numbers for children

Social Security numbers for children

Q
hen you have a child, one of the things that must be in its "agenda" is to ask f
or a Social Security number (Social Security) for your child. The ideal time to
do it is when you provide the information for the birth certificate of his son.
If you wait to request a number on a Social Security office, there may be delays
while we verify the birth certificate of his son.
Why should I get a number for my child?
If your child was born in the United States or is a U.S. citizen born abroad, yo
u will need a Social Security number to declare the child as your dependent on y
our income tax. Your child may also need a number if you plan to: • Open a bank
account for the child; • Buying savings bonds for the child; • Obtaining medical
coverage for the child, or • Apply for government services for the child.

My son must have a Social Security number?

No. Request a Social Security number for a newborn is voluntary. But it's a good
idea to ask a number so that your child is born. Can slolicitar a Social Securi
ty number for your child at the same time requesting the birth certificate. The
state agency that issues birth certificates will share with us the information o
f their child and send the Social Security card by mail. If you want to wait to
apply for the card at a Social Security office, you must provide proof of U.S. c
itizenship of his child, age and identity, as well as proof of their identity. W
e will have to verify the registration of birth of his son, who can take up to o
ne week longer than the time required for issuing a card. To verify a birth cert
ificate, Social Security will contact the office that issued it. We perform this
check to prevent people from using birth records to fraudulently obtain Social
Security numbers and create false identities.

How do I apply a number?

At the hospital: When you give the information to the birth certificate of his s
on, will ask you if you want to request a Social Security number for your child.
If you answer "yes", you must provide Social Security numbers of both parents,
if possible. Even if you do not know the Social Security numbers of both parents
, may request a number for your child. In a Social Security office: If you wait
to call a number for your child, you must: • Complete an Application for Social
Security card (Form SS-5-PE), and • Provide us original documents proving the in
formation in your son: - U.S. Citizenship - Age and - Identity. • Provide us doc
uments proving your identity. Children under 1 years of age or older: Children 1
years of age or older applying for a Social Security number for the first time
must appear for an interview at the Social Security office, even if a parent or
guardian sign the application on behalf of the child.

Citizenship
We can accept only certain documents as proof of U.S. citizenship These include
a birth certificate from the United States, a ballot consular report of birth of
the United States, a United States passport, a naturalization certificate or ce
rtificate of citizenship. Non-citizens should consult Social Security Numbers fo
r Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-10096-PE) for more information.
Age
You must present a birth certificate of her son, if you have or can easily obtai
n. Otherwise we can accept other documents such as the child's passport as proof
of age.
Identity
Your child: We can accept only certain documents as proof of identity of the chi
ld. An acceptable document must be current (not to be out of date) and the name,
identifying information and preferably a recent photograph of the child. Genera
lly, we can accept an identity document without a photograph, if it contains suf
ficient information to identify the child (such as name and age of the child, da
te of birth or parents' names). We prefer to see the passport of the United Stat
es
child. If you do not have this document, we can accept: • A decree of adoption o
f the child • A medical record, clinical or hospital of the child • A religious
record of the child (eg: a certificate of baptism) • A record of the nursery or
the child's school, or • The child's student ID card. You: If you are a U.S. cit
izen,€Social Security will ask for as proof of your identity, your driver's lice
nse from the United States, an identification card issued at state or a United S
tates passport. If you do not have these specific documents, we will present oth
er documents, such as: • Employee ID card;. • Portfolio of student; • Marriage C
ertificate; • health insurance card (not a Medicare card); • Portfolio of United
States military identification; • Judgement of adoption, or • life insurance po
licy. All documents must be originals or copies certified by the issuing authori
ty. We can not accept photocopies or certified copies for 6 (continued)
notaries public. We may use one document for two purposes. For example, we use t
he child's passport as proof of citizenship and identity. Or we can use the chil
d's birth certificate as proof of age and citizenship. However, you must provide
at least two separate documents. We will mail the card number and your child so
we have all the information and documents that your child have been checked.
What if my child is adopted?
We can assign your adopted child a Social Security number before the adoption pr
ocess is completed, but you may want to wait. Then, request the number using the
new name of his son, with your name as parent. If you want to claim your child
for tax purposes before the completion of the adoption process, you must contact
the tax office (Internal Revenue Service) and request Form W-7A, Application fo
r Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions (Application for a n
umber taxpayer identification for pending adoptions in the United States).
How much?
There is no charge to the number and Social Security card. If someone wants to c
ollect contact and assigning a number or card, or any service from Social Securi
ty, remember that the services of Insurance
7
Social charged. You can report anyone attempting to charge you toll free for the
Office of the Inspector General from the number 1-800-269-0271.
What happens if I lose the card?
You can request another Social Security card in case of loss or theft. Currently
, he is limited to three replacement cards in one year and 10 over a lifetime. T
he legal changes of name and other exceptions are not counted in this limit. For
example, changes in noncitizen status that require card updates may not be coun
ted in these limits. Moreover, it can not be included in these limits if you can
prove you need the card to prevent a significant hardship. We recommend that yo
u save the Social Security card in your child safe. It is an important document.
Do not transport you.
Misuse of a Social Security number
If you think someone is illegally using the Social Security number of your child
, you should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC, Federal Tr
ade Commission) by: • Internet - www.consumer.gov Id Theft; • Phone - 1-877-IDTH
EFT (1-877-438-4338), or • TTY - 1-866-653-4261.
• It is prohibited by law: • Use the illicitly Social Security number of another
person; • Giving false information when requesting a number, or • Change, buyin
g or selling Social Security cards.
Your privacy
When you request a Social Security number, all information provided is kept conf
idential and will not be disclosed unless required by law.
Contacting Social Security
For more information and to obtain copies of our publications, visit our website
at www.socialsecurity. gov or call toll-free number 1-800-7721213 (for the deaf
or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). We can answer spec
ific questions between 7:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday. We can provide informat
ion by automated phone service 24 hours a day. If you need an interpreter to con
duct their affairs with Social Security, we will provide one free. Interpreter s
ervices are available if you contact us by phone or in the Social Security offic
e. Call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. If you speak a language other than
English or Spanish, press 1 and wait until a representative answers. An interpr
eter will be contacted to help with your call. If the 9
Your business can not be completed by phone,€make an appointment at a local Soci
al Security office and arrange for an interpreter to be present at the scheduled
time. All telephone calls are confidential. We also intend to ensure we provide
accurate and courteous service. Therefore, there is a second Social Security re
presentative monitor some telephone calls.
Social Security Administration SSA Publication No. 05-10023-PE Social Security N
umbers For Childresn (Portuguese) December 2005